Why athlete Lara Markthaler thinks social media is essential
As technology and social media continue to evolve, it's becoming more and more important to carve out a distinct name for yourself in the online world. Lara Markthaler is a young professional ski-racer and mountain biker, and she knows how much attention growing your digital presence can bring to your work.
Lara Markthaler races in downhill mountain biking and skiing. She has won six gold medals at Red Bull Crankworx, an international MTB event. She also won at the Tyee Cup in Vancouver in ski-racing. While these events have definitely raised her profile in the sports world, social media is what's made her shine to others. She currently has almost 84,000 followers on Instagram and regularly gets between 5,000 and 10,000 likes on her posts and stories. "I often have young or aspiring athletes messaging me, telling me how I inspire them," revealed Markthaler. "That's the best feeling, to get to influence young lives and help them get involved in the sports they love."
Lara Markthaler recommends that every athlete or anyone who wants to be seen and heard build a robust online presence. It's the best way to form your own narrative and let your fans see an unseen part of who you are. "Without social media, a large chunk of my followers wouldn't know who I am. Luckily, I knew that from the beginning. Moreover, having so many people follow me on social media also increases my chances of gaining sponsorships," revealed Markthaler. Currently, she is also trying to grow her audience on YouTube, where she posts videos of her tricks and races. "I can post short video clips on Instagram, but I think that people who are passionate about the sport would love to see longer content as well. I can't wait to get it off the ground."
Social media is the way of the future. Being an icon of the new generation, Lara Markthaler knows the significance for public figures to have their own little slice of the internet and project the image that they want to into the world.